Boston Uncommon

Cosmopolitan, collegiate Boston has hosted more than its share of joyous weddings and honeymoons. Whether you're planning a special event or simply a weekend here, you'll find this historic city a great destination.

You can wander along elegant Beacon Hill or the trace the steps of Revolutionary War heroes along the Freedom Trail. Art lovers can immerse themselves in the Museum of Fine Arts or the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a 19th-century Venetian palazzo. Other places of interest include the Computer Museum, the New England Aquarium, and the JFK Library & Museum. One of the romantic spots in town is the Public Garden (entrance at left), where swan boats ply the waterways and couples nuzzle along the pathways.

Across the Charles River in Cambridge, Harvard Square is the center of activity. The Coop and bookstores are great for browsing. And you can stroll right into ivy-covered Harvard Yard and then cross the street for an inexpensive snack at Finagle a Bagel. Expect to see plenty of street performers, students, and people just watching the passing parade.

Music lovers can hear the Boston Pops or Boston Symphony Orchestra. In summertime, they often perform outdoors. Shoppers and those who've worked up an appetite will find bountiful, low-cost choices in the Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market area. And lobster-lovers will agree it's worth the wait at Legal Sea Foods, known the world over for superb, freshly cooked fish. Otherwise, though, Boston isn't much of a town for gourmets.

Many travelers schedule a night or two in Boston, and then head for other popular New England destinations: Cape Cod, Hyannisport, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Maine coast all draw their share of visitors, especially in the summer months.